News
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for seven awards at the 25th Annual Asian Legal Awards (20 August 2019)
We are delighted to announce that seven of our lawyers have been shortlisted for awards at this year's Asian Legal Awards. Read more...
Waging Peace together! (19 August 2019)
Members of the Duncan Lewis Public Law department in both Birmingham and Harrow offered pro bono advice to Sudanese asylum seekers at the Waging Peace clinic in Bradford Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors provided pro bono advice to Sudanese asylum seekers at the Waging Peace Legal Surgery in Bradford (16 August 2019)
Continuing on from last year’s success, Duncan Lewis’ Public Law teams at Birmingham and Harrow collaborated with Waging Peace to organise a legal surgery for members of the Sudanese community in Bradford on 12th July 2019. Read more...
Duncan Lewis’ Birmingham Public Law team invited to speak at the Human Trafficking Foundation Advisory Forum (7 August 2019)
On Monday 15 July, Birmingham-based public law director Ahmed Aydeed and caseworkers Karen Staunton and Harvey Slade attended a meeting of the Human Trafficking Foundation’s Advisory Forum. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Public Law team join the taskforce on victims of human trafficking in immigration detention (31 July 2019)
Duncan Lewis’ Public Law team was invited to join a taskforce of eleven expert organisations in order to seek an end to the detention of victims of human trafficking and to advocate vital changes to government practice and policies regarding this issue. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for five awards at The Law Society Excellence Awards 2019 (29 July 2019)
We are thrilled to announce that Duncan Lewis Solicitors has been shortlisted for five awards at this year’s Law Society’s prestigious Excellence Awards, the highest accolade for law firms in England and Wales. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors opens new office in Manchester, northwest England (22 July 2019)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis has opened a new office in Manchester, located at Office Number 316, 82 King Street, Manchester, M2 4WQ. Read more...
Duncan Lewis celebrates success in Will Aid’s fundraising campaign (18 July 2019)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors participated in Will Aid’s annual fundraising campaign which raised money for nine of the UK’s best loved charities by donating our services. Read more...
Raja Rajeswaran Uruthiravinayagan wins Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year – Public Law at Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2019 (11 July 2019)
We are thrilled to announce that public law solicitor Raja Rajeswaran Uruthiravinayagan has won the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year – Public Law award at this year’s Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (LALY). Read more...
Family law solicitor Emily Reed attends the National FGM Centre Conference (9 July 2019)
Emily Reed,a solicitor within the family department attended the National Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Centre’s Conference ‘RSE: The Role of Education in Responding to FGM and other Harmful Practices’ in London. Read more...
Shalini Patel to appear on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour (8 July 2019)
Public law solicitor Shalini Patel will be speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on Tuesday (9th July) alongside Gemma Lousley from Women for Refugee Women (WFRW). Read more...
Family director Forida Hakim takes part in the POAM ‘Domestic violence and child abduction’ workshop (8 July 2019)
Last month, family director Forida Hakim attended and took part in the Protection of Abducting Mothers in Return Proceedings (POAM) workshop in Aberdeen University where she, along with other experts explored the intersection between domestic violence and international parental child abduction within the EU. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed gives evidence at the Home Affairs Committee’s Inquiry into Modern Slavery (2 July 2019)
Public law director Ahmed Aydeed has been invited to give oral evidence at the Home Affairs Committee’s Modern Slavery Inquiry in the House of Commons in Westminster. Read more...
Home Office concedes that their 45 day policy for providing support for victims of trafficking is unlawful (28 June 2019)
Our clients NN and LP have settled their claims with the Secretary of State after the Home Office conceded that their policy - which allows identified victims of trafficking to receive support for only 45 days following a conclusive grounds decision - is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Trafficking (ECAT). Read more...
Home Office fail to correctly identify a victim of trafficking resulting in over five months' unlawful detention (28 June 2019)
Our client NN, was unlawfully detained by the Home Office for over five months after they failed to identify him as a victim of trafficking, and mistook him for another man who had been deported years previous Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors champions its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (26 June 2019)
A 2019 equality and diversity survey shows that Duncan Lewis Solicitors continues to champion its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Read more...
For the second year running Public Law Director Bahar Ata is shortlisted for the Legal Expert Award at the CILEx National Awards (24 June 2019)
We are proud to announce that Public Law Director, Bahar Ata, has been shortlisted for the Legal Expert Award at the CILEx National Awards 2019. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors partner with Amnesty UK for special theatre production for Refugee Week (20 June 2019)
Duncan Lewis’ Public Law department have collaborated with Amnesty UK Children’s Human Rights Network to present a special showing of Phosphoros Theatre’s show; ‘Pizza Shop Heroes’ at Amnesty International UK on Monday, 24th June. Read more...
High Court declares Home Secretary’s investigation into immigration detention abuse at Brook House inadequate (14 June 2019)
In a landmark judgment handed down on Friday 14 June 2019, the High Court has declared that a proposed Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) investigation instigated by the Home Secretary into serious mistreatment and abuse of detainees at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC), by officers of the private security firm G4S, is inadequate and lacks the powers to comply with the UK government’s investigative duties under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right not to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment). Read more...
High Court to determine legality of Home Office proposed inquiry into immigration detention abuse (13 June 2019)
The High Court is likely to hand down an important judgment tomorrow, Friday 14 June 2019, on whether the Home Office is meeting their duties to hold an effective investigation into the serious mistreatment and abuse of detainees at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors sponsoring St Luke’s Hospice networking event (10 June 2019)
Duncan Lewis will be sponsoring the St Luke’s Hospice networking event on Wednesday 12th June between 5:30pm and 8pm at the Harrow Civic Centre. The event will be both an opportunity for professionals to network and to raise money for St Luke’s Hospice. Read more...
Football coach's clinical negligence case settled after three years (7 June 2019)
After three years of legal battling a football coach's clinical negligence case is settled after A&E doctors unsuccessfully manipulated his shoulder three times. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for two awards at Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2019 (30 May 2019)
We are thrilled to announce that two of our Harrow based public law lawyers have been shortlisted at this year’s Legal Aid Practitioners Group Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) Awards. Solicitor Raja Uruthiravinayagan is shortlisted for the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year – Public Law award, and trainee solicitor Maria Petrova-Collins is up for the Legal Aid Newcomer award. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed speaks at Matrix Chambers’ Trafficking and Modern Slavery Seminar (28 May 2019)
Public law director Ahmed Aydeed was invited to speak at Matrix Chambers’ Trafficking and Modern Slavery Seminar in London on Wednesday 22nd May at the Goldsmiths’ Centre. Read more...
R v K - successful acquittal in firearms case (23 May 2019)
Criminal defence solicitors Kerim Kumbarji and Daniel Dilein successfully represented their client ‘K’ who was charged with three key firearm offences Read more...
Duncan Lewis reported case cited in Children Commissioner’s report (22 May 2019)
A Duncan Lewis reported case has been cited in the recently published report by the Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield. The report, ‘Who are they? Where are they?’ looks into vulnerable children who are ‘locked up’ be it in secure children’s homes, mental health wards, Young Offender Institutions or secure training centres, either for their own safety or the safety of others. Read more...
Duncan Lewis wins Special Recognition Award at the Wales Legal Awards (20 May 2019)
We are delighted to announce that the Cardiff and Swansea based Duncan Lewis teams won the Special Recognition Award at the inaugural Wales Legal Awards. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors appoints new immigration director Alexis Masolo (17 May 2019)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce the recent internal appointment of Alexis Masolo as director of immigration for its Leicester based office. Read more...
The Times’ Lawyer of the Week: Public Law Solicitor Sulaiha Ali (16 May 2019)
We are proud to announce that Public Law Supervisor and Solicitor Sulaiha Ali based in our Harrow office, has been named The Times’ Lawyer of the Week for her WW case. Read more...
Compulsory training for Home Office after flawed understanding of Humanism (15 May 2019)
Our client Hamza Bin Walayat previously claimed asylum on the basis that he would be persecuted and killed in Pakistan for his belief in Humanism. The Home Office rejected his claim on the grounds that he could not identify Plato and Aristotle as humanists. Following the international attention drawn to his case, Mr Bin Walayat instructed Duncan Lewis to assist him in submitting a new asylum claim which has now been successful. Read more...
Duncan Lewis wins the Access to Justice Award at the Cardiff & District Law Society Awards (13 May 2019)
We are delighted to announce that we have won the Excellence in Access to Justice Award at this year’s Cardiff and District Law Society Awards. Read more...
London Borough of Barnet Failure to Comply with Housing Law (10 May 2019)
Zuhal Saglam, a housing solicitor based in our Dalston office, acted on behalf of a client who along with her three children, had become homeless upon being evicted by her landlord further to a serious road traffic accident. Read more...
The Upper Tribunal have ordered the SSHD to return our client to the UK after ruling that he could not have an effective human rights appeal from Jamaica (7 May 2019)
In what is believed to be the first successful case of its kind, Mr Justice Lane and Upper Tribunal Judge O’Connor have directed the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD) to fund and facilitate the return of our client (WW) to the United Kingdom, in circumstances where he had been denied the opportunity to obtain the ‘best evidence’ relating to the best interests of his British children in his human rights appeal. Read more...
FAM v SSHD: Duncan Lewis Solicitors granted permission to challenge imposition of bail conditions on individuals that cannot be lawfully detained (30 April 2019)
A client of Duncan Lewis Solicitors has been granted permission to challenge the continued imposition of conditional bail against him in circumstances where he can be neither lawfully removed nor lawfully detained pending the outcome of various investigations and civil proceedings into abuse and mistreatment he suffered in immigration detention. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Granted Permission to proceed with Brook House Lock-in Challenge (24 April 2019)
Three Duncan Lewis clients have been granted permission by the High Court to challenge the conditions and regime they were held in at Brook House immigration removal centre (IRC), a centre for immigration detainees but designed to Category B prison standards. These conditions include locking detainees in their cells for up to 13 hours overnight in conditions the Claimants say are unsanitary, poorly ventilated and which breach their rights to observe their religion. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Gender Pay Announcement (2019) (11 April 2019)
Duncan Lewis has recently completed its annual Gender Pay analysis and submitted the same. The reporting of gender pay revealed the following limitations: a lack of comparison in relation to comparable job roles/title(s), furthermore, the calculations fail to take into account intangible aspects which affect salary such as qualifications, employment experience and personal skills. Read more...
Hungarian nationals detained for rough sleeping win unlawful detention claim (10 April 2019)
Gabor Nagy, a solicitor and director of immigration, acted on behalf of two clients that were detained purely because they were found to be homeless. As Hungarian nationals, the Home Office detained them under immigration powers on the basis that it is an abuse of EU treaty rights, despite the fact that the policy on EEA rough sleepers no longer applies. It was as a result of Gabor’s representations that the Secretary of State eventually conceded that both had been detained unlawfully, awarding each a sum in damages. Read more...
Permission for Judicial Review granted for vulnerable Victim of Modern Slavery (10 April 2019)
Gina Sarfo, of our Dalston immigration department, has successfully obtained a grant of permission in Judicial Review proceedings against the Secretary of State for the Home Department’s (SSHD) irrational negative Reasonable Grounds decision and the proposed removal of the Claimant from the UK. Read more...
Solicitors Nilma Shah and Sarah Rashid represented Duncan Lewis at the TUC Midlands Annual Conference (3 April 2019)
Last weekend (30th March), clinical negligence and personal injury solicitor Nilma Shah and family and child care solicitor Sarah Rashid attended the TUC Midlands Annual Conference in Derby in order to meet with TUC delegates from across the Midlands and deliver specialist legal advice and support as well as highlight the most telling issues surrounding access to justice today. Read more...
Solicitor Lynda Reid becomes Director of Housing at Cardiff office (2 April 2019)
We are pleased to announce that solicitor Lynda Reid has been appointed Director of Housing at the firm’s Cardiff office. Read more...
Solicitor Graeme Rothwell becomes Director of Action Against Public Authorities department (2 April 2019)
We are pleased to announce that Solicitor Graeme Rothwell has been appointed as Director of the Action Against Public Authorities department at Dalston. Read more...
Why Duncan Lewis is attending the TUC Annual Regional Conference (29 March 2019)
Personal injury and clinical negligence solicitor Nilma Shah and family and child care solicitor Sarah Rashid are attending the TUC Annual Regional Conference in Derby on Saturday 30th March in order to deliver specialist legal advice and support to those attending and to highlight the most telling issues surrounding access to justice today. Read more...
Challenging disability discrimination: the legal implications of RS after the Administrative Court grants permission to apply for Judicial Review (28 March 2019)
In an Order issued on 25 March 2019, the Administrative Court of Justice held that it is arguably unlawful for a local authority to require a person with permanent and significant non-physical disabilities to attend a mobility assessment as a mandatory pre-requisite for determining their eligibility for a disabled parking badge (Blue Badge). Read more...
International family law solicitor Helen Newman joins Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ family department (28 March 2019)
We are pleased to announce that prominent international family law solicitor, Helen Newman, has joined Duncan Lewis Solicitors as a supervisor in the family department. Helen joins Duncan Lewis after over 30 years working as a director and partner at Pritchard Joyce & Hinds. Based primarily in our Tonbridge office in Kent, Helen specialises in all international family matters. Read more...
Duncan Lewis’ challenge to £1 per hour wages for immigration detainees dismissed by High Court: to appeal in pursuit of fair pay (27 March 2019)
Mr Justice Murray, in the High Court, has on 26 March 2019 dismissed our clients’ Judicial Review claims challenging the decision of the Secretary of State for the Home Department to pay immigration detainees £1 per hour for work carried out while in detention. Our clients are understandably very disappointed by this decision. We continue to be of the view that this policy is unlawful and will be seeking permission to appeal this decision to the Court of Appeal. Read more...
Cart Judicial Review success and removal of child with Autism Spectrum Disorder halted by Court of Appeal in RS (Pakistan) and Ors v HMCTS and SSHD (26 March 2019)
On 25 February 2019, in the case of RS (Pakistan) and Ors v HMCTS and SSHD (as an Interested Party), the Court of Appeal granted the appellants permission to appeal against the decision of the High Court refusing to grant them permission to judicially review the decision of the Upper Tribunal (UT). The UT in turn had refused to grant permission to the appellants to appeal the decision of the First-tier Tribunal (FtT) dismissing their human rights appeals in August 2017. It follows that the decision of the UT refusing permission to appeal is now likely to be quashed and a new decision will need to be made. The Court of Appeal also ordered that the appellants were not to be removed in the interim. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors represents wife who remarried after erroneously being granted a divorce from the courts - M v P [2019] EWFC 14 (25 March 2019)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors represented a wife whose divorce was sought to make void in an application made by the Queen’s Proctor. The wife was represented by solicitors Sundeep Budwal and Paul Nuttall from our family and child care department. Read more...
Bahar Ata visits HMP Peterborough discussing foreign national detainee’s rights under the UN refugee convention (21 March 2019)
Director of immigration and public law, Bahar Ata, based in Luton, was invited to attend HMP Peterborough to speak with detainees who are subject to immigration proceedings. Read more...
Tamana Aziz and Zofia Duszynska feature in Online Abuse and the Law: Law in Action (BBC Radio 4) (20 March 2019)
Immigration directors Tamana Aziz and Zofia Duszynska were interviewed as part of the Law in Action series for BBC Radio 4 discussing the key issues that are faced by their clients when challenging decisions made by the Home Office. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Birmingham office welcomes new criminal defence department (15 March 2019)
We are pleased to announce that we are extending our reach by establishing a new criminal defence team in our Birmingham office. Led by director Nicholas De Freitas, the team consists of solicitor Sat Bains and caseworker Lee Piggott both of whom have extensive experience in handling a wide range of criminal defence matters. Read more...
Duncan Lewis challenges Home Office’s failure to provide support and assistance to trafficking victims (14 March 2019)
Duncan Lewis is launching a challenge against the Home Office for refusing to make decisions on whether to grant discretionary leave to victims of trafficking with outstanding asylum claims, and for limiting support for victims of trafficking to 45 days after a final decision is made that they are victims of trafficking. The challenge is being led by public law director, Ahmed Aydeed, and concerns a number of vulnerable clients that have instructed us. Solicitor Heather Malunga and caseworkers Karen Staunton and Harvey Slade are also assisting with this challenge. Chris Buttler of Matrix and Miranda Butler of Garden Court chambers are instructed as Counsel. Read more...
Challenging ultra vires acts: the legal implications of KA after the Court of Appeal grants permission to appeal (11 March 2019)
In the case of R (on the application of KA and another) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (ending of Kumar arrangements) [2018] UKUT 00201 (IAC) the Upper Tribunal (UT) held, in a decision dated 13 June 2018, that the Kumar arrangements would end for all Judicial Review claims filed in the UT on or after 1 January 2019. This means that, in respect of any such claim, the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD) will have 21 days to file and serve an Acknowledgment of Service (AoS) as mandated by the Procedure Rules, instead of the more generous time frame of 42 days accorded by the Kumar arrangements. Read more...
Duncan Lewis’ client, a Sudanese victim of trafficking, has case referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (4 March 2019)
GB, the appellant in this case, has a complex immigration history, which ultimately saw her arrested in 2008 after she tried to board a flight from Gatwick airport to Canada with a false passport. Despite presenting with a number of indicators that she was a victim of trafficking, she was convicted of an offence under section 25(1)(a) of the Identity Cards Act 2006 and she is now in the process of appealing the conviction. On 1 March, the Criminal Cases Review Commission has referred GB’s case to the Court of Appeal with the belief that the court will quash her conviction. Read more...
Duncan Lewis offering free Wills drafting during Free Wills Month (1 March 2019)
Free Wills Month launches today and we are pleased to announce that our Wills & Probate team are participating by donating their services. Led by director Caroline Roche, the team will be offering ‘simple’ Will drafting and redrafting for those who sign up. Read more...
Intentional Homelessness Decision Overturned after finding ‘Lamborghini Landlord’ induced our client into unaffordable tenancy (28 February 2019)
Our client, a vulnerable tenant, was on 26 February 2019 met with a successful decision on review under s202 of the Housing Act 1996 finding that her rogue landlord, known as the ‘Lamborghini Landlord’, induced her into entering into a revised tenancy agreement which she simply could not afford. Read more...
Chinese victim of trafficking released from detention: where were the safeguards when our client needed them? (28 February 2019)
The day before our client’s case was listed at the High Court, the Home Office conceded that they had unlawfully detained her for 6 months. Her immigration history in the UK displayed clear indicators of trafficking and abuse; despite this she was held in immigration detention to the detriment of her mental and physical health. So what went wrong? Read more...
Duncan Lewis shortlisted for Private Client Team of the Year at the inaugural Wales Legal Awards (26 February 2019)
We are thrilled to announce that Duncan Lewis’ Cardiff based Immigration and Public Law team have been shortlisted for Private Client Team of the Year at the first Wales Legal Awards. Read more...
In aid of Syrian refugees in Lebanon – Day 3: Inspiration, determination and hope (13 February 2019)
Aisha Ahmed and Suzanne Abdulhadi recount their third and final day of their trip to Lebanon and contemplate the difference their work has made to the lives of the Syrian refugees. Read more...
Damages awarded to Claimant as asbestos case is settled after three and half years (11 February 2019)
Our client, the Claimant, suffered from the lung disease - plural thickening - as a result of working with asbestos earlier in his life. After nearly three and half years the Defendants have finally accepted blame and made an offer of damages to the Claimant. Read more...
In aid of Syrian refugees in Lebanon – Day 2: Hardship, dignity and appreciation (11 February 2019)
Aisha Ahmed and Suzanne Abdulhadi‘s journey through Lebanon continues as they travel to a refugee camp to distribute aid, encountering some unexpected obstacles along the way. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors attended Human Rights and Social Justice Event at University of Law (10 February 2019)
Director Ahmed Aydeed and caseworker Maria Poleo, both of our Immigration and Public Law department based in Birmingham, were invited to speak at the University of Law’s Human Rights and Social Justice Careers Evening held on 6 February. Read more...
In aid of Syrian refugees in Lebanon – Day 1: Grace, strength and generosity (8 February 2019)
Aisha Ahmed and Suzanne Abdulhadi’s first day in Lebanon sees them teaching children at a school, visiting a refugee camp and witnessing first-hand the conditions Syrian refugees have and continue to endure. Read more...
Personal Injury Solicitor Ifrah Ahmed successful in obtaining a large settlement for her client who sustained injuries at work (6 February 2019)
The claimant, Mr C, instructed Duncan Lewis Solicitors to represent him in a claim for an accident at work. As his solicitor, Ifrah Ahmed acted on his behalf and succeeded in recovering a large sum in damages for Mr C’s complex injuries and uncertain future. Read more...
Aisha Ahmed and Suzanne Abdulhadi travel to Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon as part of the One Ummah Tour (6 February 2019)
Solicitor Aisha Ahmed and trainee solicitor Suzanne Abdulhadi both from Duncan Lewis’ Immigration Department are travelling to Lebanon with the UK charity; Muslim Charity to take part in the One Ummah Tour which will see them volunteering at Syrian refugee camps. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Public Law and Immigration Director Trevor Hatton judicially appointed to the First-tier Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (5 February 2019)
Duncan Lewis is pleased to announce that Director of Public Law and Immigration, Trevor Hatton has been appointed as a fee-paid judge at the First-tier Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (FtTIAC). Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Immigration Director Jenna McKinney is judicially appointed to the First-tier Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (5 February 2019)
We are very pleased to announce that Immigration Director Jenna McKinney has been appointed as a fee-paid judge at the First-tier Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (FtTIAC). Jenna already has over 10 years’ judicial experience sitting in the Magistrates Courts, where she chairs both the adult and the youth bench. She will begin her appointment in April 2019, based at Taylor House. Read more...
Performance, Budget or Redundant Post: Pregnancy Discrimination Dismissal in Dowokpor v. London Borough of Waltham Forest (4 February 2019)
This case concerns an agency worker who was dismissed from her job shortly after disclosing that she was pregnant. She subsequently sought assistance from Duncan Lewis in order to bring a claim for pregnancy discrimination against London Borough of Waltham Forest on her behalf. The case was brought before the Employment Tribunal on 7-9 and 13 November 2018 and the resulting judgment, sent to parties on 24 January 2019, found that the Claimant had suffered pregnancy discrimination by having her engagement terminated by the Council and she was awarded £22,344.25 in damages. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors sees success at the Modern Law Awards 2019 (1 February 2019)
Last night, on 31st January 2019, practitioners from Duncan Lewis attended the Modern Law Awards 2019 at Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, to showcase and celebrate the excellent work and achievements of legal professionals from all across the UK. Read more...
Regulations to create backdating power made in response to litigation by Duncan Lewis (1 February 2019)
The Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 were laid before Parliament on 30 January 2019 by the Government. As of 20 February 2019, the legal aid regulations will confer a discretionary power on the Legal Aid Agency to backdate legal aid determinations to the date on which an application for funding or an amendment to an existing certificate was made. Read more...
Clients granted permission to challenge the lack of safeguards for people held in prison under immigration powers (1 February 2019)
The High Court has granted clients of Duncan Lewis Solicitors permission to challenge the lack of safeguards in place to identify vulnerable people held in prison under immigration powers. The Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Secretary of State for Justice are defendants in this claim. Read more...
Brook House Inquiry: High Court orders hearing to determine whether Home Office’s inquiry into detention centre abuse will comply with human rights (31 January 2019)
Today, on 31 January, the High Court ordered a two day hearing for early May 2019 to consider whether the Home Office’s proposed inquiry into abuse and mistreatment of detainees at the G4S-run Brook House Immigration Removal Centre will comply with Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right not to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment). Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Emine Mehmet contributes to new book ‘101 Questions Answered About Separating with Children’ for separating parents (30 January 2019)
With legal aid being drastically cut, Duncan Lewis Solicitors is delighted to be supporting a national, not-for-profit social enterprise working to provide accessible support to families through the difficulties of separation and divorce. Read more...
Damages for asylum-seeker unlawfully detained and deprived of medication in detention in R (On the Application Of) Adegun v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2019] EWHC 22 (Admin) (25 January 2019)
This case provides another insight into whether a detained asylum system can be operated fairly and without detriment to detainees. In a ruling handed down on 10 January 2019, Nicholas Paine QC concluded that the Home Office failed to carry out Rule 34 assessments within 24 hours of the Claimant’s arrival at two separate detention centres and that as a result, Mr Adegun, had been unlawfully detained and deprived of his medication. Read more...
Dubs Amendment: High Court finds Home Office unlawfully failed to publish policy and breached its duty of candour (22 January 2019)
The High Court has today handed down judgment in the case of R (ZS) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2019] EWHC 75 (Admin). This claim challenged the Home Office’s failure to implement the so-called ‘Dubs Amendment’, s. 67 of the Immigration Act 2016, which required the Secretary of State to make arrangements to transfer asylum-seeking children from Europe. This power was used to transfer a number of children from the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp in late 2016. ZS was one of the children considered for transfer at that time but he was refused for failing to meet the criteria set by the Home Office, despite significant vulnerabilities. Read more...
Public Law’s Jeremy Bloom speaks at the Young Legal Aid Lawyers meeting discussing Duncan Lewis’ LAA Challenges (15 January 2019)
On 9th January 2019, Jeremy Bloom was invited to speak at 39 Essex Chambers at the Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) meeting, 'Litigating for Justice: Challenging the Legal Aid Agency'. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Wills and Probate department are participating in Cancer Research’s Free Will service (11 January 2019)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce that our Wills and Probate department is collaborating with Cancer Research UK and its free will service for those aged 55 and over. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomes five new lawyers to its Harrow based Criminal Defence team (9 January 2019)
We are pleased to announce that five new lawyers have joined the criminal defence department at our head office in Harrow. Consultant solicitor Emeka Onuma joins director Rubin Italia’s team alongside Christiana Denny-Persaud and Sonal Rabadia-Coll. We also welcome consultants Leilani Helmi and Raj Mehta who will be working under director, Nicholas De Freitas. Read more...
Recovering costs in a hostile environment post-AL (Albania) (7 January 2019)
On 22 June 2018, we published an article regarding the Court of Appeal’s judgment in AL (Albania) v SSHD [2018] EWCA Civ 1183 which confirmed that public funding was being sought to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision in the Supreme Court. The purpose of the following article is to provide an update, especially in view of the fact that this case has profound implications for the future of publicly funded cases, in particular those involving vulnerable asylum-seeking children. Read more...
Duncan Lewis succeeds in challenge over blanket Legal Aid refusals for Judicial Reviews where permission was refused on paper (20 December 2018)
In a judicial review against the Lord Chancellor, Duncan Lewis has successfully challenged the blanket refusal to provide legal aid funding for judicial reviews where permission was refused on the papers. The result will assist legal aid providers representing some of the most vulnerable in society and should in turn enhance access to justice. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Birmingham Office Relocates (18 December 2018)
We are pleased to announce that our Birmingham office has relocated and as of Monday 17th December can be found at 158 Edmund House, Birmingham, B3 2HB. Read more...
Duncan Lewis have been shortlisted for Five Awards at the Modern Law Awards 2019 (11 December 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is pleased to announce that five specialists from our Harrow and Luton offices have been shortlisted in three different categories as part of the Modern Law Awards 2019; Lawyer of the Year, Rising Star of the Year and Paralegal of the Year. Read more...
Duncan Lewis enjoys success at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2018 (4 December 2018)
It was a successful night for Duncan Lewis at the 2018 LawWorks Pro Bono Awards with housing solicitor Lynda Reid being ‘Highly Commended’ for the Best Contribution by an Individual award and public law trainee solicitor Marios Kontos being ‘Highly Commended’ for the Junior Lawyers Division Pro Bono Award. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors attend the TUC Awards Night and 150th Anniversary Celebration Dinner (4 December 2018)
Last Friday, a number of Duncan Lewis’ lawyers attended the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Awards night and 150th anniversary celebration dinner at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham which celebrated 150 years of trade unionism. Read more...
Upper Tribunal rules Home Office’s removal of disputed minor to Germany unlawful and orders his return to UK (4 December 2018)
Following a hearing that took place on 11 October 2018, Mr Justice William Davis, a High Court Judge sitting in the Upper Tribunal, ruled that the Home Office unlawfully removed ‘QH’, an exceptionally vulnerable young Afghan male, to Germany. As a result, the Court has today ordered the Home Office to take steps to return QH to the UK so that his asylum claim can be decided here. Read more...
Duncan Lewis attends Medaille Trust Conference discussing immigration, victims of trafficking and modern slavery (3 December 2018)
Immigration director Zofia Duszynska and trainee solicitor Saul Stone were delighted to be invited to address the Medaille Trust Annual Conference on Friday 30 November on immigration issues facing victims of trafficking and modern slavery. Read more...
Public Law Director Toufique Hossain gives evidence in connection to the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ inquiry into immigration detention (28 November 2018)
Duncan Lewis’ public law director Toufique Hossain gave oral evidence in connection to the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) inquiry into immigration detention on Wednesday 21st November at the Palace of Westminster. Read more...
Duncan Lewis’ Public Law Solicitor Jamie Bell attended the ‘People of Afghanistan Look to the Future’ conference as part of Parliament Week (26 November 2018)
The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA) and the Campaign for Human Rights for the People of Afghanistan (CHRA) hosted the People of Afghanistan Look to the Future conference as part of Parliament Week, bringing together speakers from different sectors to discuss key issues affecting Afghan people in the UK today. Read more...
‘Sri Lanka: Permanent counterinsurgency, and the Tamil threat abroad’ - what Duncan Lewis Immigration Department at Dalston learned from Dr Suthaharan Nadarajah (23 November 2018)
On Thursday 22nd November 2018, Dr Suthaharan Nadarajah, of SOAS University of London, attended our Dalston office to deliver training on ‘Sri Lanka: Permanent counterinsurgency, and the Tamil threat abroad’. Read more...
Secret Court Overturns Home Office Decisions To Deprive Two Men of their British Citizenship (20 November 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors have successfully appealed the decisions of the Home Office to deprive two men of their British citizenship. As the appeals involved matters of national security, they were heard by the secretive court, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC). The Commission, chaired by Mr Justice Jay, allowed the appeals of the two men, anonymised as E3 and N3, on the basis that the deprivation orders had rendered them stateless. Read more...
UPDATE: Challenge to Legality of Removals Policy – Home Office further amends policy in response to Judgment (13 November 2018)
The judgment in R (FB and NR) v SSHD (JR/9948/2017 and JR/9949/2017), was handed down on 31st October 2018. The Upper Tribunal (UT) found the Home Office removals policy (‘Judicial reviews and injunctions’, Version v15.0) to be unlawful in several respects, as detailed below. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomes Lorick Winarskie as Housing Director in Birmingham (6 November 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce the recent appointment of new Housing Director, Lorick Winarskie at the firm’s Birmingham office where he will oversee and spearhead our specialist housing department alongside consultant solicitors Christina McCormack and Meera Betab, and solicitor Rupinder Jagdev. With 30 years’ worth of experience in housing law, Lorick brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Read more...
Our Public Law Director Ahmed Aydeed Speaks at Immigration and Public Law Seminar at Matrix Chambers (5 November 2018)
Ahmed Aydeed, a solicitor and director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, spoke as a panel member on Medical Expert Evidence in Immigration and Public Law at a seminar held at Matrix Chambers on 30 October 2018. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed speaks at Islington North, Black and Ethnic Minority Forum, Black History Month Event (5 November 2018)
On Wednesday 31st October, Ahmed Aydeed, a solicitor and director of public law based at Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Birmingham branch, spoke at the Islington North Black and Minority Ethnic Forum, Black History Month event. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Challenge the Lack of Immigration Advice in the Prison Estate (5 November 2018)
As a firm, Duncan Lewis currently represents a number of individuals who are subject to immigration control, but are detained within the prison estate as opposed to within immigration removal centres. We have commenced judicial review proceedings on their behalf, primarily arguing that the Lord Chancellor, the Director of Legal Aid Casework and/or the Secretary of State for the Home Department are squarely discriminating against those held under immigration powers who are detained within prisons when compared to detainees in immigration removal centres. Read more...
Duncan Lewis wins unlawful detention claim on behalf of client with mental health problems in R (oao) Chernor Dede Bah –v- The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2018] EWHC 2942 (Admin) (5 November 2018)
Mr. Bah was referred to Duncan Lewis by Medical Justice, with preliminary medical evidence suggesting that he may have been unable to adequately ventilate his protection claim in the United Kingdom due to severe mental illness. Throughout January 2018, Duncan Lewis challenged the lawfulness of Mr. Bah’s continued detention. In the judgment handed down on 2 November 2018, it was conceded that the failure to conduct an initial medical examination pursuant to Rule 34 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 was unlawful. The Court held that Mr. Bah’s detention for the following four weeks was unlawful. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for four awards at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2018 (2 November 2018)
We are delighted to announce that Duncan Lewis Solicitors has been shortlisted for four awards at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2018. The Awards recognise and celebrate achievement in legal pro bono work carried out by organisations and individuals over the course of the last twelve months. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors achieves excellent Chambers & Partners UK 2019 results nationwide (2 November 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis Solicitors has received fantastic recognition in the Chambers & Partners 2019 legal guide with the firm receiving departmental ranking and recognitions in London, Birmingham and Watford, Uxbridge and surrounds. Four of our legal practitioners have been ranked in their respective areas of law and a fifth has been named a ‘Recognised Practitioner’. Read more...
Public Law Director Toufique Hossain has been ranked in The Legal 500 2019 (31 October 2018)
We are pleased to announce that director of public law and immigration, Toufique Hossain, has received outstanding recognition in The Legal 500 2018-2019 edition, receiving recommendations in four practice areas, including being ranked as a ‘Next Generation Lawyer’ for Administrative and Public Law in London. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Immigration Director Vinita Templeton is ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ by The Legal 500 2019 (31 October 2018)
It is our pleasure to announce that our Cardiff Immigration Director, Vinita Templeton has been ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ in the 2019 edition of The Legal 500 for her fantastic contributions in the Human Resources: Immigration, Wales category. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Housing Director, Heather Iqbal Rayner, is ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ by The Legal 500 2019 (30 October 2018)
We are thrilled to announce that our Cardiff office’s Housing Director, Heather Iqbal Rayner has been ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ in the 2019 edition of The Legal 500 for her amazing contributions in the Real Estate: Social Housing, Wales category for the fourth year running. Read more...
Duncan Lewis achieves excellent nationwide Legal 500 success as a top tier firm for immigration in London and Wales with many more rankings and recommendations (30 October 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are proud to announce its outstanding recognition in the Legal 500 2018 Edition which sees 15 legal departments nationwide and an exceptional 39 lawyers recognised across a multitude of practice areas. Read more...
Duncan Lewis provided advice at the Waging Peace legal clinic hosted by Garden Court Chambers (23 October 2018)
On Tuesday 16th October, a number of our specialist legal practitioners attended the Waging Peace legal clinic at Garden Court Chambers to provide advice for individuals who needed to know the best steps to take in their legal matter. Read more...
Duncan Lewis attended Legal Week at King’s College London (19 October 2018)
As we see this year’s Legal Week come to a close, we look back on what went on at King’s College London. Legal practitioners from Duncan Lewis were invited to discuss their experiences as professionals in the legal sector at the largest legal aid firm in the UK. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomes new solicitor Stefan Vnuk to its Public Law Team (18 October 2018)
Duncan Lewis is very pleased to announce that solicitor Stefan Vnuk has joined its Public Law department. Stefan has joined Duncan Lewis from Lupins Solicitors, where he was Head of Department, and brings with him over 20 years’ worth of legal experience. Read more...
A Night to Remember at the Law Society Excellence Awards (18 October 2018)
This year’s Law Society Excellence Awards ceremony was certainly a night to remember for Duncan Lewis. It is a delight to announce that we were highly commended for the prestigious Law Firm of the Year – Large award. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed has been highly commended for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year at the 2018 Law Society Excellence Awards (18 October 2018)
Last night at the annual Law Society Excellence Awards, Ahmed Aydeed, received high commendation for the category of Human Rights Lawyer of the Year. This commendation comes a year after Ahmed won Junior Lawyer of the Year at the 2017 awards and just a few months after he was a finalist at the Birmingham Law Society Awards for Partner of the Year. Read more...
Lex 100 survey results are in: Duncan Lewis wins for client contact for second year in a row (15 October 2018)
We are pleased to announce that the Lex 100 has released their annual survey results and Duncan Lewis have come on top for client contact. Lex 100 surveys a wide range of firms, from large firms with a substantial work-force, to smaller firms made up of a select team of individuals. Trainees are asked to rate their firms according to different categories, which are then ranked for the benefit of prospective trainees looking for the best place to apply for a training contract. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Attends First Immigration Detention Conference at ILPA (12 October 2018)
On Tuesday 9th October, Toufique Hossain, a director of immigration public law at Duncan Lewis, was invited to speak at the first Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA) conference on immigration detention. Toufique Hossain, who heads a team of almost 50 immigration and public law lawyers at Duncan Lewis’ head office in Harrow, was asked to attend to speak on a number of key challenges he is bringing to raise awareness of the issues which face immigration detainees in the UK today. Read more...
Permission granted for Duncan Lewis to challenge the Legal Aid Regulations that prevents payment where permission was refused on paper (12 October 2018)
Further to the success brought by Duncan Lewis which resulted in the Government agreeing to amend the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) Regulations 2012 to allow for legal aid certificates to be backdated, this judicial review continues the fight for access to justice, in a challenge to a different Legal Aid Regulation that stands in the way of providers continuing to assist those who are most in need. Read more...
Duncan Lewis shortlisted for awards at the Society of Asian Lawyers Awards (11 October 2018)
We are thrilled to announce that four Duncan Lewis lawyers have been shortlisted for awards at this year’s Society of Asian Lawyers Legal Awards. Criminal defence director, Rubin Italia has been shortlisted for the prestigious Criminal Lawyer 2018 award; Childcare director Ravi Kaur Mahey has been shortlisted for the Commercial/Civil Lawyer 2018 award; and Public law solicitor Sheroy Zaq has is up for the Rising Star 2018 award. Housing director Manjinder Kaur Atwal has been shortlisted for two awards, the Commercial/Civil Lawyer Award and the Rising Star Award. Read more...
Home Office in major U-turn agrees to Article 3-compliant investigation by PPO into abuse at Brook House IRC (11 October 2018)
Following legal proceedings the Home Office have backed down and agreed to the appointment of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) to undertake a bespoke and independent Article 3 ECHR-compliant investigation into abuse of detainees at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) that was exposed by a BBC Panorama documentary in September 2017. Read more...
Government to amend regulations in response to Duncan Lewis access to justice challenge against Legal Aid Agency and Lord Chancellor (5 October 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are the claimant in a claim for judicial review of the Legal Aid Agency’s refusal to backdate legal aid certificates, even where solicitors have made a legal aid application as promptly as possible and it is necessary to begin work in order to secure access to justice for a client before the Legal Aid Agency has granted a certificate. Our contention in the litigation is that the Legal Aid Agency and Lord Chancellor have failed to recognise that the legal aid regulations must contain an implied power to backdate certificates, or are ultra vires. Read more...
JA Iraq et al v SSHD approved judgment - Duncan Lewis Solicitors involved in landmark judgment involving the detention of individuals under Dublin III Regulation (5 October 2018)
Yesterday, 4th October, the Court of Appeal has handed down a landmark judgment pertaining to the detention of individuals under Dublin III Regulation. The conjoined hearing of appeals related to three judgments that covered the cases of five individuals who were placed in detention for periods pending possible removal to other EU Member States pursuant to the asylum claim arrangements under the so-called Dublin III Regulation. Read more...
In the wake of the Labour Party Conference we ask - is the UK a hostile immigration environment? (1 October 2018)
Toufique Hossain, Zofia Duszynska, Anthony Okumah, Rebecca Thomas, Nilma Shah, Lynda Reid, Tamara Smillie and I have returned from the Labour Party Conference 2018, where we spent an exciting 4 days meeting a number of prominent MPs and organisations who came to visit our stall at the Exhibition Hall. Now, we are taking time to reflect on what we have learnt from our time there, to help us better understand the issues that are affecting the communities we serve today. Read more...
Why we are attending the Labour Party Conference? (21 September 2018)
As legal practitioners representing clients in matters close to Labour’s heart, a team from Duncan Lewis is set to attend the Labour Party Conference from 23 – 26 September, including Anthony Okumah, Zofia Duszynska, Toufique Hossain, Rebecca Thomas, Tamana Aziz, Nilma Shah, Tamara Smillie and Lynda Reid, with an aim to inform MPs, organisations, unions and all those attending about the most telling issues surrounding access to justice today. Read more...
What is service in litigation? (17 September 2018)
Service can be defined as "steps required by rules of court to bring documents used in court proceedings to a person's attention". The purpose of the rules on service, set out in the Civil Procedure Rules, is to ensure that, as far as possible, documents and, in particular the claim form, actually come to the attention of the party to be served. Read more...
Duncan Lewis nominated for two awards at the UK Diversity Legal Awards 2018 (10 September 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis has been nominated at this year’s UK Diversity Legal Awards for the Access to Justice Award and the Outstanding Multi-cultural/BAME Employee Network Award. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Shortlisted for two awards at the Family Law Awards 2018 (5 September 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce that the firm has been shortlisted for the Family Law Firm of the Year award in the forthcoming 2018 Jordan’s Family Law Awards and our Family and Child Care Director Ravi Kaur Mahey has been nominated for ‘Partner of the Year’. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenge the detention centre pay regime (5 September 2018)
Our Public Law team have issued Judicial Review proceedings challenging £1 per hour wages within immigration detention centres. The case is a landmark challenge to the detention centre pay regime, first introduced in 2008. In 2016/2017, over 880,000 hours of paid work was carried out by immigration detainees. The vast majority of this work was rewarded with £1 per hour pay (as the ‘specified project’ rate of £1.25 is rarely used). Read more...
Duncan Lewis Client has Interim Relief Granted by European Court of Human Rights (10 August 2018)
In Chowdhury v United Kingdom, under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has decided to indicate to the Government of the United Kingdom that the Applicant should not be removed for the duration of the proceedings before the Court. Read more...
Duncan Lewis successfully challenges the SSHD’s unlawful detention of victim of re-trafficking (6 August 2018)
In CP (Vietnam) v Secretary of State for the Home Department the High Court ruled in favour of the Claimant, concluding that the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD) had breached the Claimant’s protective obligations under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights and detained him unlawfully. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed Shortlisted for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year at Law Society Excellence Awards (3 August 2018)
We are thrilled to announce that Duncan Lewis’ Ahmed Aydeed has been shortlisted for the coveted Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award at the 2018 Law Society Excellence Awards. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors commitment to Diversity & Inclusion (3 August 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis is a finalist for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion in anticipation of the Law Society Excellence Awards 2018. Read more...
Naim Hasani Shortlisted for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year at Law Society Excellence Awards 2018 (3 August 2018)
We are delighted to announce that Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Naim Hasani has been shortlisted for the Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award at the 2018 Law Society Excellence Awards. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for 6 awards at The Law Society Excellence Awards 2018 (1 August 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis have been shortlisted for 6 awards, in anticipation of the 12th annual Law Society Excellence Awards 2018. The event will be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane on 17th October 2018, where it will celebrate the best in the legal sector in 22 highly competitive categories. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Successful in First Ever FGM Case heard in the Court of Appeal (31 July 2018)
The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal in the High Court case: X (A Child) (Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order: Restrictions on Travel) [2017] EWHC 2898 (Fam). The case - the first ever FGM case to be heard in the Court of Appeal - in which a 16 year travel ban was imposed on a child ‘X’, due to concerns that X was at risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), will be remitted for a full re-hearing of all relevant issues, to a Judge of the Family Division. Read more...
Reducing the Statutory Charge – the lessons of Hana Zewdu v. The Director of Legal Aid Casework [CO/81/2018] (27 July 2018)
Following the filing of judicial review proceedings in the Administrative Court of Justice on 19 December 2017, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) agreed to pay the Claimant, the full costs of challenging the LAA’s original decision to revoke the Claimant’s public funding certificate, during the course of the Claimant’s prior successful judicial review proceedings against the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD). Read more...
Director of Childcare, Alia Lewis advises on the BBC soap opera, ‘Doctors’ (24 July 2018)
Director of Childcare, Alia Lewis advised on an episode of ‘Doctors,’ providing expert legal advice for a storyline involving a transgender child. The show, ‘Doctors’ is a medical drama following the lives of medical staff of a doctors surgery and the circumstances of patients who are treated at the surgery. The episode, ‘He says, She says’; season 19 episode 193, originally aired on 10th April 2018. Read more...
R (on the application of MR) v (1) Secretary of State for Justice and (2) Secretary of State for the Home Department (24 July 2018)
The Public Law team at Duncan Lewis have issued Judicial Review proceedings on behalf of the Claimant who was held under immigration powers in prison. Read more...
Public Law Solicitor Lewis Kett Wins Legal Aid Newcomer at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2018 (18 July 2018)
Duncan Lewis is pleased to congratulate Lewis Kett, a solicitor in the Public Law department, on his award for Legal Aid Newcomer at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) Awards. The Legal Aid Newcomer Award exists to recognise the young legal aid lawyers aspiring to be the future leaders in this practice. Read more...
Duncan Lewis assisting the Calais Refugee Community Kitchen (11 July 2018)
On 6th May 2018, a group of legal representatives from the Duncan Lewis Luton office embarked on a journey to Calais, France, with the hope of putting our skills into action to help a charity called Refugee Community Kitchen operating on ground in Calais. Read more...
Duncan Lewis appoints Alex Peebles as Director in Public Law and Court of Protection (6 July 2018)
Duncan Lewis are very pleased to announce that Solicitor Alex Peebles has recently been appointed as a Director of Public Law and Court of Protection. Since Alex joined Duncan Lewis in April 2017, he has become a prominent presence in the legal fields of Court of Protection, Regulatory law and in Civil Liberties & Human Rights, whilst supporting the growth and development of the respective departments overall. With 10 years’ PQE in a wide range of Public Law matters, Alex is experienced in handling matters in the tax tribunal, High Court, Court of Appeal, European Court of Human Rights and Court of Protection. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenges the Legal Aid Agency’s rules on backdating of funding (5 July 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors have been granted permission in a claim for judicial review to challenge the lawfulness of the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) Regulations 2012, (the Procedure Regulations), and the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) interpretation of these regulations.The LAA’s position is that the Procedure Regulations do not allow it to make legal aid payments for work undertaken before it grants funding. The effect of this contention is that legal aid providers are not reimbursed for work properly undertaken on an emergency basis before the LAA is able to consider an application and grant funding. Another potential effect is that legal aid providers simply will not carry out this work, as they cannot be reimbursed for it by the LAA. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Public Law & Immigration Director Bahar Ata is a finalist for the Legal Expert Award at the CILEx National Awards 2018 (5 July 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is proud to announce that Public Law and Immigration Director, Bahar Ata, has been selected as a finalist for the Legal Expert Award at the CILEx National Awards 2018. The awards ceremony will be presented on the 6th September 2018 at the stunning Underglobe, Shakespeare Globe Theatre, London. The CILEx National Awards Ceremony will showcase and celebrate the excellent work, and achievements, of CILEx members and stakeholder partners. Read more...
Senior caseworker Patrick Page speaks at Parliament following screening of ‘Calais Children: A Case to Answer’ (2 July 2018)
On 27 June, Patrick Page, a senior caseworker in the public law department at Duncan Lewis spoke at Parliament about his experience advising and assisting children in the Calais ‘Jungle’ on their applications to come to the UK under the ‘Dubs Amendment’. After the screening of ‘Calais Children: A Case to Answer’, Patrick remembered how, when he and his colleagues spent time in the Jungle, the children they spoke to were ‘trying’ every night to board lorries, risking their lives to enter the UK; some had been trying for over a year and had bruises and cuts to show for it. Conversely, when Patrick and his team returned to the UK, they were required only to show their passports to the border guards, and half an hour later they were in Dover. He concluded that until countries like the UK opened their borders, tens of thousands of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children would continue to remain in limbo, vulnerable to exploitation. Read more...
Permission to Appeal granted by Court of Appeal in TM (Kenya) (28 June 2018)
The Court of Appeal has granted permission to appeal in the case of TM (Kenya) v SSHD (C4/2017/3270), which challenges the High Court judgment in Muasa v SSHD [2017] EWHC 2267 insofar as it found against the Claimant. Read more...
Duncan Lewis 20th Anniversary Ball (27 June 2018)
We’re extremely proud to announce that Duncan Lewis has reached an important milestone as we celebrated our 20 year anniversary on Friday 11th May. The event was to commend our CEO, Shany Gupta, Managing Director, Nina Joshi and our entire workforce on reaching 20 years. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Immigration Solicitor Javeria Ijaz shortlisted for Rising Star in Law Award at 7th English Asian Business Awards 2018 (26 June 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is proud to announce that Immigration solicitor, Javeria Ijaz, has been shortlisted for the Rising Star in Law award at the 7th English Asian Business Awards 2018. The awards ceremony will be presented on the 17th of July at the Mercure Manchester, Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester. These awards aim to celebrate and showcase the achievements of Asian men and woman who greatly contribute to their industries. Read more...
Patrick Page, senior caseworker in public law at Duncan Lewis, speaks at conferences at SOAS and at the Open University (26 June 2018)
On 19th June, Patrick Page, a Senior Caseworker in the Public Law team in Harrow spoke on the keynote panel at a SOAS conference on ‘Empathy in Practice’. He shared the panel with Juliet Mabey, the founder of Oneworld Publications, and David Francis, a PhD student at the British Museum. Patrick spoke about his work exposing the indignity of immigration detention, and criticised the lack of empathy shown by detention officers, Home Office caseworkers and national leaders towards those who are detained. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Family and Childcare team attend advice drop-in at the West Hill Children’s Centre (25 June 2018)
Once a fortnight a volunteer caseworker from our Croydon office attends the West Hill Children’s Centre for appointments with parents, carers and other individuals seeking legal advice. Read more...
Pre Issued Settlement – The Case of D (22 June 2018)
This case concerns a defendant D, who had been remanded in prison custody for 4½ months without lawful authority. D was arrested for breaching a non-molestation order, imposed by a County Court. He was taken to the Court in the custody of police officers, and appeared before a district judge without having had access to legal advice. The judge subjected him to questioning and remanded him to prison, directing that either the police or prison officers brought D back to Court in seven days to conclude his case. Neither the Court, police, or prison made arrangements to have D returned to Court. The detaining authorities then subsequently failed to review his custody, forcing D to remain in custody for 4 ½ months. Read more...
Money Laundering - The case of ‘O’ (22 June 2018)
O was charged with an offence often described as ‘money laundering’, and faced an indictment before the Woolwich Crown Court. A retrial was required, an unusual event, which can often occur where a jury remain undecided on a person’s guilt. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Welcome New Director of Family and Childcare Sara Upton (14 June 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Sara Upton has joined Duncan Lewis as a Director in the Family and Childcare department. She will supervise a team of solicitors, trainees and caseworkers alongside Director Sheena Donlon based at our office in Barnet. Read more...
Grenfell: One Year On (14 June 2018)
A year has passed since the Grenfell Tower tragedy that took the lives of 72 people and destroyed the lives of hundreds of others in what would become the UK’s worst fire disaster. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors attend tribunal verdict on Turkey and the Kurds (11 June 2018)
Members of the public law team at Duncan Lewis recently attended the reading of a verdict of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) on Turkey and the Kurds. Delivered on 24 May in the European Parliament, the PPT found Erdogan and the Turkish state guilty of war crimes, and crimes against humanity against the Kurdish people. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Public Law Team talk at Oxford University (30 May 2018)
On 17 May, Patrick Page and Nicholas Hughes of the Harrow Public Law Team, spoke to students at Oxford University about challenging unlawful policies and practices in immigration detention. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenge R (Rahimi & Bahadori) v SSHD prompts new Chapter 60 removals policy (24 May 2018)
Yesterday (23rd May 2018) the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD) published amendments to his removals policy (at Chapter 60 of his Enforcement Guidance and Instructions, titled ‘Judicial Review and injunctions’) in direct response to proceedings issued by Duncan Lewis Solicitors on 28th November 2017. The changes reflect concessions made in April this year by the SSHD in the course of these proceedings. Read more...
Home Office Issues New Guidance Stating That Asylum Seekers And Care Leavers Must Be Permitted To Study (10 May 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors and Garden Court Chambers represent a number of young asylum-seekers who were told by the Home Office that they cannot study. In some cases, we have obtained last minute court orders allowing individual clients to study and sit exams. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Represent Child Slavery Victim in Claim Against Home Office After Sexual Assault at Morton Hall IRC (10 May 2018)
H was trafficked to the UK from Vietnam as a child. He was taken captive in Ho Chi Minh City by his traffickers aged 15. He was tortured, raped and forced into debt bondage. He was beaten with electrified sticks and burned with heated rods. He was then trafficked to the U.K, deliberately starved, deprived of his liberty, and forced to tend cannabis plants in Derbyshire. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed of Duncan Lewis speaks at Victims of Modern Slavery and Trafficking event at Matrix Chambers (9 May 2018)
Ahmed Aydeed, a solicitor and director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, was invited to appear on the panel at Matrix Chambers on the 25 April 2018 to discuss modern slavery and trafficking in the UK. Read more...
Playing 2 Remember (that we’re still not very good) (9 May 2018)
The highlight of the sporting calendar has been and gone again. Duncan Lewis Solicitors participated in the London Play 2 Remember Tournament on 15 April 2018, to commemorate victims of genocide and support its survivors as well as promote togetherness through sport. Read more...
Public Law Solicitor Lewis Kett is shortlisted for Legal Aid Newcomer at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2018 (3 May 2018)
Duncan Lewis is pleased to announce that Public Law Solicitor Lewis Kett has been shortlisted for Legal Aid Newcomer at the forthcoming Legal Aid Practitioners Group Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) Awards. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Public Law Department launches ‘No Walls’ blog (2 May 2018)
The Duncan Lewis Solicitors Public Law Department has launched ‘No Walls’, an open forum dedicated to discussions on public law, human rights, immigration, and asylum. Read more...
Asylum Seekers Prohibited From Studying By New Home Office Bail Restrictions (1 May 2018)
In January, the Home Office made changes to temporary admission and immigration bail. As a result, individuals have been issued new Bail 201 forms setting out immigration bail conditions. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors client promised life-saving cancer treatment in high-profile case (25 April 2018)
On 24 April 2018, the Royal Marsden Hospital finally committed to giving Duncan Lewis’ client Albert Thompson the radiotherapy treatment that he requires to treat his prostate cancer; however the NHS Charging Regulations remain unlawful. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Shortlisted for Pro Bono Initiative of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2018 (24 April 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis has been shortlisted for Pro Bono Initiative of the Year at the 2018 Lawyer Awards! The Lawyer Awards reward best practices and celebrate excellence across the legal profession, making the awards ceremony one of the biggest nights on the legal calendar. Read more...
Duncan Lewis obtains reprieve against removal of foreign national on the basis of possible mistaken identity (17 April 2018)
Howard Cheng, Solicitor of the Immigration and Public Law departments of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, is representing a national of Somalia and has obtained a reprieve against his removal to Hargeisa, from where the Home Office claims he originates. Read more...
Court’s strict approach to FGM imposing 16 year travel ban (13 April 2018)
A recent High Court case imposed a 16 year travel ban on ‘X’, due to concerns that X is at risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The girl was born in 2016 to a white English mother and an Egyptian father. The father who currently resides in Egypt has been unable to join the mother and X in the UK because of issues with acquiring a visa. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors represented Diplomat’s challenge to the High Court concerning enforcement of orders in light of diplomatic immunity (12 April 2018)
The Child Care team at Duncan Lewis Solicitors represented a Diplomat who entered the UK with her children D, S, E and SL aged between 17 years and 7 years old. All the children are nationals of X. The mother is also national of country X and works as a secretary for the X High Commission. Read more...
Lawyers from Duncan Lewis Public Law Department attend tribunal on Turkey and the Kurds (12 April 2018)
A group of lawyers specialising in Public Law from Duncan Lewis Solicitors were invited to attend a session of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal on 15 and 16 March. The tribunal looked into accusations that the Turkish state is guilty of war crimes and has engaged in state terrorism against the Kurdish people. Read more...
Further to the recent IT security incident that we have reported (29 March 2018)
As a precautionary measure; we would advise all of our clients and third parties that if you receive any request for payment via any form of electronic communications such as by email, please do not make any payments until you have spoken with your relevant Fee Earner to validate the request for payment. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Update – Injunction Obtained in Relation to Recent IT Security Incident (29 March 2018)
Further to the press release dated 28 March 2018, with reference to Duncan Lewis’ recent IT security incident, we can confirm that on 29 March 2018 we secured a High Court Injunction preventing the use of, publication, communication or disclosure to any other person of any information obtained from Duncan Lewis’ IT Systems. Read more...
Duncan Lewis IT System (23 March 2018)
Duncan Lewis IT systems were hacked on Friday 23rd March 2018. The discovery was made through the course of Friday morning and our IT Department has been liaising with external IT Forensics since this time to try and ascertain the source and nature of this compromise and impact. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Gender Pay Announcement (22 March 2018)
The reporting of gender pay revealed the following limitations: a lack of comparison in relation to comparable job roles/title(s), furthermore, the calculations fail to take into account intangible aspects which affect salary such as qualifications, employment experience, performance and personal skills. Read more...
High Court grants permission in complex EEA unlawful detention claim (16 March 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors has been granted permission to proceed with a judicial review challenge against the on-going immigration detention of a vulnerable EEA national detainee. Due to ill health, the detainee has been recognised as an ‘adult at risk’ under the Home Office’s policy guidance. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors recognised for commitment to Pro Bono at the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2018 (16 March 2018)
We are delighted to announce that Refugee Legal Support Athens (RLS) is the winner of the Pro Bono Award at the 2018 LexisNexis Legal Awards. Duncan Lewis Solicitors are proud to be part of Refugee Legal Support Athens (RLS) and to have contributed to their success. Read more...
Duncan Lewis to challenge Home Secretary’s decision not to deport Irish nationals (15 March 2018)
Since 2012, foreign national prisoners who have been serving indeterminate sentences have been able to take advantage of the ‘TERS’ scheme (Tariff Expiry Removal Scheme). This means that most foreign nationals are eligible to be immediately deported home as soon as they complete their tariff, and no longer have to go through the parole process. The scheme is good news for anyone wanting to go home and not have to endure the parole process which has experienced significant delays in recent years. It is particularly beneficial to any foreign national prisoner serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence and ultimately stagnating as they struggle to get access to rehabilitation courses in order to progress. The TERS scheme is in theory open to all foreign nationals. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Free Weekly Advice Clinic continues to provide legal support in Dalston East London (14 March 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors offer a free weekly legal surgery from their Dalston East London office, every Tuesday evening from 17:00 – 19:30. Set up in 2009 by two senior colleagues, the Tuesday evening pro bono Surgery has been able to help the most vulnerable in local communities to access justice when they cannot afford it. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors launches a High Court challenge into the inadequacy of initial health screenings in Immigration Removal Centres (13 March 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors have launched a High Court challenge, on behalf of our client, into the inadequacy of initial health screenings in Immigration Removal Centres, and failures in the Rule 34 and 35 processes. Read more...
Our Immigration Trainee Solicitor Lavinia Wasserman received True Honours Award nomination for her work to end ‘honour’ based violence (13 March 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Immigration Trainee Solicitor Lavinia Wasserman was a finalist at the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO) True Honours Awards 2018. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors: Statement of Apology (22 February 2018)
We recently represented ‘SB’ in his immigration related Court of Appeal matter. We wish to apologise for misrepresenting the facts in SB, this is a case of a last minute attempt to prevent a young man, ‘SB’, from being returned to Afghanistan. While, as the Court of Appeal clarifies, we made these representations ‘honestly and in good faith’, we accept unreservedly the criticism of the judges in this case. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomes Senior Housing Solicitor Ossie Sandalon (21 February 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to welcome our new Senior Housing Solicitor Ossie Sandalon to the firm. Ossie Sandalon will be joining the Housing department lead by Housing Director Dianne Cowie at our Croydon office. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors hires two new Directors - Khadijah Khan and Chinedu Orogbu (7 February 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to welcome two new Directors to the firm. Khadijah Khan will supervise a team of solicitors and caseworkers within the Litigation department based in Harrow, whilst Chinedu Orogbu will lead in supervising the Housing team at our Dalston office. Read more...
Afghan Child Represented by Duncan Lewis Solicitors Challenges Home Office on ‘Dubs Amendment’: High Court hearing 28 February and 1 March 2018 (7 February 2018)
The Public Law team at Duncan Lewis Solicitors are representing an Afghan minor, who lived in the Calais ‘Jungle’, in bringing a challenge against the Secretary of State for the Home Department for failing in her duties under the ‘Dubs Amendment’. The case is due to be heard in the High Court on 28 February and 1 March. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Public Law Director Ahmed Aydeed shortlisted for Partner of the Year in the Birmingham Law Society Legal Awards 2018 (5 February 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to congratulate Public Law Director, Ahmed Aydeed as he is named a finalist in the Birmingham Law Society Awards 2018 for Partner of the Year. Since becoming a Director in Duncan Lewis’ Birmingham branch in 2017, Ahmed has proven to be a dedicated and integral leader in the department of Public Law, as recognised in this nomination. Read more...
High Court rules in favour of Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenge to the Home Office’s “lock-in” regime in Brook House IRC (5 February 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Public Law team led a challenge against the Home Office on behalf of two former-detainees, which on 1 February 2018 the High Court ruled in favour of, forcing the Home Office to take responsibility for the unlawful conditions within detention centre Brook House. Read more...
Home Secretary May Be Found to Have Breached Smoking Ban and Discriminated against Muslim detainees in High Court ruling on Conditions at Brook House IRC (31 January 2018)
The High Court judgment, on conditions in immigration detention, is due to be handed down tomorrow, 1 February 2018, at the Royal Court of Justice (court 49). The ruling will discuss whether the Home Office has illegally allowed the smoking ban to be contravened in detention centres. The court will also make a finding on whether the lock-in regime at Brook House IRC, which forces detainees to be locked into their cells for up to 13 hours a day, discriminates against Muslim detainees who are forced to pray next to an open toilet in potentially unsanitary conditions. The challenge was brought by the public law team of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, on behalf of clients detained at Brook House IRC. The cases were heard in the High Court on 23 - 24 January 2018. Read more...
Duncan Lewis launches challenge to Home Secretary’s failure to instigate public inquiry into G4S abuse of detainees at Brook House IRC (29 January 2018)
This month Duncan Lewis Solicitors have launched a High Court challenge, on behalf of our client, into the Home Secretary’s failure to instigate a public inquiry into serious and systemic abuse of detainees by G4S staff at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Immigration Solicitor Javeria Ijaz is a Finalist for Services to Law at the British Muslim Awards 2018 (25 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is proud to announce that Immigration solicitor, Javeria Ijaz, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the award for Services to Law at the British Muslim Awards 2018. The awards ceremony will be presented by Al Rayan Bank on 31st January 2018 at the Bradford Hotel in Bradford. These awards aim to acknowledge and honour British Muslims across the UK whose achievements set them out as the best in their industry. Read more...
RLS-Athens legal advice clinic supported by Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for LexisNexis Pro Bono Award alongside Duncan Lewis Pro Bono Committee (24 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis would like to congratulate The RLS-Athens Project for being shortlisted in the LexisNexis Awards 2018 Pro Bono category, alongside Duncan Lewis’ Pro Bono Committee. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Croydon Housing Department to Hold Fortnightly Pro Bono Advice Clinic from January 22nd 2018 (19 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce that its Housing Department based in Croydon will be working in conjunction with Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth to offer fortnightly pro bono advice to those requiring assistance with a wide range of housing related matters. Read more...
R (on the application of SB and Duncan Lewis) Vs Director of the Legal Aid Agency and the Lord Chancellor (12 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis filed a judicial review claim in the Administrative Court to challenge the failure of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) to backdate funding for urgent work properly undertaken. The LAA granted funding on 14 September 2017, which was made available from that date, but the LAA failed to backdate that funding to extend from the date of the initial application made on 12 September 2017. Read more...
Tamana Aziz joins Legal 500 recommended firm Duncan Lewis Solicitors as new Director of Immigration (8 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce the recent appointment of Tamana Aziz as a Director of Immigration. She is also based in Harrow and she will work alongside Vicash Ramkissoon, Zofia Duszynska, Neelam Bangar and Rohena Wallace in leading our Harrow based Immigration team. Read more...
Legal 500 Recommended National Law Firm Duncan Lewis Hires New Crime Director Nicholas De Freitas (8 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is excited to welcome new Crime Director Nicholas De Freitas, he will be based in the company’s Harrow branch. With 10 years legal experience, Nicolas joins Duncan Lewis from Noble Solicitors as a well-established Criminal Defence solicitor, supervising Harrow’s team of crime caseworkers and solicitors, alongside Crime Director Rubin Italia and Hardeep Dhaliwal. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Islamic Family Law Specialist Aina Khan awarded OBE (2 January 2018)
With great pleasure we wish to congratulate Aina Khan, Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Islamic Family Law specialist, for her outstanding work which has seen her receive an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for her service to the protection of women and children in unregistered marriages. Read more...